The Secret Sex-Lives of Grizzlies
I thought you might be interested in knowing something about the mating habits of bears. I am going to limit my discussion of sexual behavior to grizzlies as much more is known of their sex lives than of the other bears. Their sexual behavior is remarkably varied and complex. Certain rules have been worked out by bear biologists, but the grizzlies are constantly violating them.
Bears do not normally show any interest in sex outside of mating season (at other times, their big interest is FOOD). The exception is zoo bears, which being normally bored out of their skulls, will often mate promiscuously all year long. Even then, the female will only conceive during the normal mating season. The mating season typically lasts from April through July, the center of activity being June. Females come into heat usually twice for a period of about 2 to 3 weeks. The males are in heat the whole time but start losing interest by late July and start obsessing over food again. Although most of the larger, adult males have sex during this time, most of the cubs are fathered by the dominant males. These big bears, especially the boss or Alpha Male, start checking on the ladies early in the spring to see which are old enough for their first heat and which of the rest are going to be without cubs and ready to mate again. The testosterone level of the males rises markedly and their sexual equipment comes into readiness. The testicles of a male grizzly look very human. The penis looks fairly much like that of a human male too, but it is seperated from the scrotum by several inches of belly. Unlike humans, bears achieve insertion by means of a penis bone or baculum. During this time, the males are very feisty and battle for dominance. This can be a really impressive show, as some bears have worked out expert "bear-fu" fighting routines that are wonderful to behold. The few who have seen two really big dominant males in prime condition slug it out with roars that can be heard a mile away have been overwhelmed with awe. To become the Alpha Male, the unquestioned King of the local grizzlies, can easily take an ambitious bear a full month of hard fighting to establish his reputation. Sometimes the contender will sneak off for a day of rest when the constant grind of mating and battling gets to be too much. Such a bear has first choice of the females (they know who he is, some will go to great lengths to position themselves to be noticed by him, prefering not to be impregnated by any lesser male) and he instinctively chooses those likely to be most fertile and in the best condition. The other bears get their chance later in order of dominance, but conditions for conception are less favorable. This is why about 80% of the cubs are fathered by 20% of the bears. The other bears scatter when the Alpha Male makes his appearance. He walks with the majestic dignity and pride of one who knows he has fully earned his position.
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